Metallurgy The National Centre of Tribology (NCT) has state of the art metallurgical preparation laboratories, allows us to cut, mount, polish and etch a range of metals and materials ranging from common steels to rare and exotic alloys. Metallurgical preparation is a powerful technique when attempting to determine the root cause of failure of metals. Examining the microstructure of materials can reveal clues regarding the service life, material quality and failure initiation. The materials can reveal clues regarding the service life, material quality and failure initiation. The material never lies. We have the tools and personnel to enable retrieval of failed samples from site or we can handle delivery and storage of large components within our holding facility.